A tenant leaving feels like a normal part of letting property, clean, re-list, find someone new. The real cost is considerably higher than most landlords account for, and in 2026's more cautious, more competitive market, it's worth treating retention as a genuine financial strategy, not an afterthought.
Figures below reflect ONS, Zoopla, and published 2026 UK letting market data, current to mid-2026. This is general information, not financial advice.
1. The real cost of turnover, not just the void
The average void period in England in 2026 costs a landlord roughly £1,135, based on an average empty period of 24 days against an average monthly rent of £1,438. That figure alone only covers lost rent. The fuller cost of a tenant leaving typically also includes cleaning between tenancies, any repairs needed to bring the property back up to standard, re-letting fees if an agent is involved, referencing costs for the new tenant, and the landlord's own admin time managing the whole process. Treated as a single number, turnover is genuinely more expensive than it first appears.
2. Why voids are getting longer in 2026 specifically
Since Section 21 was abolished, removing a tenant who turns out to be unsuitable is considerably harder and more expensive than it used to be, there's no longer a quiet, no-fault route out of a tenancy that isn't working. Landlords have responded rationally by spending more time vetting prospective tenants before signing anyone, wanting genuine confidence in a tenant's reliability given how much harder it now is to correct a mistake. This extra caution is measurably extending the average time a property sits empty between lettings, a direct, if unintended, consequence of the wider reform.
3. The retention math worked through
Consider a reliable tenant currently paying £50 a month below what the property might achieve on the open market. Pushing fully to market rate risks that tenant deciding to leave, triggering the average £1,135 void cost, on top of cleaning, referencing, and any re-letting fees for the replacement. Even a full year of foregone rent at the £50 gap, £600 annually, is considerably less than the combined cost of losing that tenant and the genuine uncertainty of whether their replacement turns out equally reliable. This is exactly why many experienced landlords treat a smaller, well-judged increase, one that keeps a proven tenant in place, as the more profitable choice, even when the market would technically support more.
4. What actually works to retain a good tenant
- Responsive maintenance is genuinely one of the strongest retention levers available. A tenant who feels ignored is considerably more likely to leave, even where the property itself is perfectly decent. Our Landlord Repair Responsibilities guide covers the response standard worth treating as routine.
- Explain a rent increase informally before the formal notice arrives. A brief, friendly conversation ahead of a Section 13 notice, giving context for the figure, is far more likely to be accepted without friction than a sudden formal notice with no warning. Our How to Increase Rent guide covers the formal process this conversation sits ahead of.
- Start renewal or review conversations early, roughly three months ahead where practical, rather than waiting until a tenant is already actively weighing other options.
- Phase a larger catch-up increase over two or three years if a rent has genuinely fallen well behind the market, rather than closing the whole gap in a single notice that risks prompting an exit.
5. Why this matters more in today's market
Average UK rent reached around £1,366 a month in late 2025, with annual growth slowing to roughly 4.4% as the market rebalances, supply has risen meaningfully while tenant demand has eased somewhat, creating a genuinely more competitive lettings environment than landlords have faced in recent years. In a softer, more tenant-favourable market, replacing a departing tenant isn't the quick, guaranteed process it might once have felt like, which raises the real cost of losing one you didn't need to.
6. Frequently asked questions
How much does a void period actually cost a UK landlord?
The average void period in England in 2026 costs a landlord roughly £1,135, based on an average empty period of 24 days and an average monthly rent of £1,438. This figure only covers lost rent, the fuller cost of a tenant leaving, cleaning, repairs, re-letting fees, referencing, and admin time, is typically higher still.
Why are void periods getting longer for UK landlords in 2026?
Since Section 21 was abolished, removing a tenant who turns out to be unsuitable is considerably harder and more expensive than it used to be. Landlords are responding by spending more time vetting prospective tenants before signing, which is extending the average time a property sits empty between lettings.
Is it better to increase rent to market rate or keep it lower to retain a good tenant?
Very often, retention wins on the numbers. A modest, below-ceiling increase that keeps a reliable, well-established tenant in place frequently costs less over a year than the combined cost of a void period, re-letting fees, and referencing a replacement, even before accounting for the risk that the replacement turns out less reliable.
What actually helps retain a good tenant beyond keeping rent competitive?
Responsive maintenance is genuinely one of the strongest levers, a tenant who feels ignored is considerably more likely to leave even if the property itself is perfectly decent. Explaining a rent increase informally before the formal notice arrives, and starting renewal conversations early, both measurably improve the odds a good tenant chooses to stay.
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